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Beware of the unphotogenic Realtor

Shortcut: Noun - Aroutethatisshorterthantheusualone.

It is astounding to find the number of residential real estate listings that lack professional photography in the Indianapolis market that we serve. As I assist agents in their day to day endeavours I am in and out of our listing service (The BLC) all day.

To those that are not aware, most listing services and real estate syndicate websites allow anywhere from 2 dozen to 50 photos per listing. Not only does the maximization of this opportunity assist with SEO results, which translate into more clicks, views, inquiries, and showings, the time a consumer spends on a property detail page increases as does their interest level. Said simply, the quanity and the quality of real estate photography has a direct relationship with the interest a home receives. Here is an example of a Century 21 Scheetz agent, Jeff Sheets, who uses professional photography to sell homes more quickly: CLICK HERE Homes of all types and prices deserve the same marketing strategies yet listings with thoughtleslly taken point and shoot pictures can be found too often. When a home has only 6 photos, taken with a consumer quality camera, it sends a message that the agent is either unaware of the negative impact his or her listing will suffer, or they just don't care, because they either don't believe the home will ever sell, or do not want to invest in their business or their clients' interest like a professional should. It is surprising to me that sellers aren't outraged when they see this happening after their property enters the market. This holds true for any property type, and any price range, including distressed properties.

My team and I conducted our own study using sold home data in Hamilton County, Indiana. The findings completely support the previously stated comments. Year to date, homes with 20 photos or more in the BLC (our MLS) went under contract in 79 days on average. On the contrary, homes that only had 1 - 12 photos had 17% longer market times with an average market time of 93 days.

Similarly, the average # of photos for all homes sold was 19 compared to homes that expired from the market, (didn't sell) only had 15 photos on average.

Please see the Prezi below for a few examples.

***If you are a homeowner suffering from underexposure online or elsewhere, contact my office and a qualified agent in your local market for a consultation.

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